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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · wax · pound · dip · rash · cell · toast · roll

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rash — a series
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. roll — a cake
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. dip — to sink
  12. staff — a stick
  13. roll — a list
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. staff — employees
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com